A safe ending for wrong-way Pike driver

An 87-year-old Connecticut man drove the wrong way on the Massachusetts Turnpike for about 11 miles late last night before Trooper Darren Specht was able to stop him.

“Trooper Specht did a fantastic job pulling him over,” said Sgt. Mark Courtois of the Charlton barracks.

State police had received several calls reporting the wrong-way driver.

Thaddeus Satkowski, 87, of Staffordville, Conn., got on Exit 10 of the westbound Mass. Pike in Auburn around 11:30 last night and drove east in the breakdown lane of the high-speed lane for about 11 miles, police said. He made it to Grafton before he heeded Trooper Specht's signals to pull over.

Trooper Specht drove parallel to the wrong-way driver on the correct side of the highway until he was able to get his attention.

“We moved to have his license revoked immediately,” said Trooper Richard Mahoney of the Weston barracks. He said state police contacted the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles.